She’s not surprised at all, and she lets me continue without protest. “This gets you in my house. And there’s a garage door opener in your car.”
“And if I say no?”
“You won’t.”
“Oh, really? You’re so sure?” She purses her lips, her eyes beaming with joy.
“You don’t have to. You can stay at your place. But, fuck, when I get home after the game, I’m going to be gutted if you’re not here, waiting for me.”
Wrapping her hands around my face, she tugs me down, kissing me deeply and tenderly. Time fades away aswe get lost in one another, enjoying a glimpse of what the rest of our lives will look like.
And thankfully, I don’t have to worry for too long about if she’s staying or not—because a few hours later, when the Sinners beat the Mallards, I come home and find my family waiting for me, wearing the jerseys I had made for them and greeting me with kisses.
God, I’m the luckiest guy in the entire goddamn world.
Valentine’s Day is off to a great start as I spend a chunk of the morning filling Kerrigan in on every detail of the last twenty-four hours. She hangs on to every word, as I knew she would, beaming with joy. Repeatedly telling me how happy she is for me, for both Bates and me.
I leave no detail out, giving her the info she’s been dying for, and unexpectedly, her favorite part is hearing about this morning.
I woke up in Bates’s arms, his body wrapped around me like he was scared I’d flee in the middle of the night. Freddie was curled up in a blanket in my arms, and we slept soundly through the night, like one happy family.
That thought dawned on me this morning, and I haven’t been able to shake it sense. And the thing is … I sort of love picturing us as a little family. I love everything about it, everything abouthim. And it’s terrifying.
I feel like the fog around my mind has cleared for good … almost. There’s still one more hurdle Bates and I have to leap together, and that’s telling my dad.
The front door of my office chimes, and Miles greets the person. “Hi. How can I help you?”
“I have a delivery for Serena Rafferty.”
My head whips in the direction of the voice, and I suck in a breath, finding an overflowing vase of red roses in the deliveryman’s hands.
I bound across the short distance, eagerly but politely taking them. “Thank you so much. Do I need to sign or anything?”
“Nope. You’re all set.”
Good, because I already zoned the rest of the room out, plucking the handmade, sealed Valentine’s Day card from the center of the arrangement.
Thankfully, with our added staff, we’re less overwhelmed. On top of that, our next party isn’t for two weeks, letting us treat today like any other day.
With Kerrigan’s app in the trial stages, our clients will soon have a whole new tool at their disposal to help them find their special person.
Once we get into March, we’ll have a Saint Patrick’s Day themed party, but we’ll be focusing far more on isolated pairings and less on the soirees. They perform well during the big holidays, but our company is built around matchmaking, not partying.
Kerrigan takes the roses from me, breathing them indeeply as I break the wax seal on the envelope, instantly recognizing Bates’s handwriting on the outside.
For My Little Cupid on her favorite day.
Lifting the card from its envelope, I flip it open, telling myself I’ll appreciate his handiwork later. Right now, I’m dying to read the message he left.
It’s been a little bit since I got my last card, and I missed this, opening and reading the letters he wrote just for me.
The mask is off. Secrets revealed.
Darkest desires no longer concealed.
We’re free to run. Hunt. Chase.
When I catch you, you’re mine to take.
